Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Patrons are to use inkjet copies (barcode number 0007432950) or digital images with searchable transcription available through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Unntold: the African American Narrative website.

Preferred Citation

Culpeper County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons cohabiting together as Husband and Wife, 27th February 1866. Local government records collection, Culpeper County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Culpeper County under the accession number 43031.

Digital images were created by the Library of Virginia's Photographic and Digital Imaging Services. Photolab number 08_0615_01-04.tif.

Historical Information

Culpeper County was formed in 1749 from Orange County.

The Virginia legislature passed an act on 27 February 1866 to legalize the marriages of former slaves who had been cohabiting as of that date. See Virginia Acts of Assembly, 1866-1867, Chapter 18, An act to amend and re-enact the 14th section of chapter 108 of the Code of Virginia for 1860, in regard to registers of marriage; and to legalize the marriages of colored persons now cohabiting as husband and wife.

The federal Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands directed the Assistant Superintendents of the states to order the county clerks to make a registry of such cohabiting couples. See Circular No. 11, dated 19 March 1866, in Orders, Circulars, Circular Letters, and Letters of Instruction, vol. 2 (1866). Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Virginia, 1865-1869. Miscellaneous reel 3880, Library of Virginia. National Archives microfilm M1048 (reel 41), Record Group 105.

Scope and Content

Culpeper County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Culpeper County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Also commonly called Culpeper County (Va.) Cohabitation Register. This register records on two pages the name of the husband, his age, place of birth, residence, occupation, last owner, last owner's residence, name of the wife, her age, place of birth, residence, last owner, last owner's residence, name of children with the ages of each, and the date of commencement of cohabitation. Many of the persons listed under the column of father's name are actually the mothers of the children.

Related Material

Additional Culpeper County Marriage Records and Vital Statistics can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult A Guide to Virginia County and City Records On Microfilm found on the Library of Virginia web site.

Additional cohabitation registers are available digitially with searchable transcriptions through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Unntold: the African American Narrative website.

Culpeper County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Culpeper County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Database found at the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Culpeper County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans -- Employment -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.
• African Americans -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.
• Freedmen -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.
• Slaveholders -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.

Geographical Names:

• Culpeper County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.
• Marriage records -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.
• Marriage registers -- Virginia -- Culpeper County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.

Adjunct Descriptive Data